The 40-year-old actor promised that the best is yet to come as he accepted the prestigious Actors Inspiration Award at SAG Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Celebration in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

Leonardo looked debonair in a charcoal-grey suit, crisp white shirt and blue and grey patterned tie, and there was a twinkle in his blue eyes as he addressed his peers at the star-studded gala.

‘I accept this with the belief my work is just beginning,’ Leonardo said from the stage.

The talented actor was honoured for his film career and his philanthropy side as well as the chairman of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which strives to protect biodiversity by increasing awareness of climate change.

The actor began his career as the gangling star of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape before moving on to more mature, romantic roles in Titanic, Romeo + Juliet and The Beach.

He was the ambiguous hero – and anti-hero – in Blood Diamond and the wiz kid turned Hollywood hotshot Howard Hughes in Aviator.

His portrayal of plantation owner Calvin Candie in Django Unchained was enough to send shivers down the spine while his role as lovesick Jay Gatsby wrenched hearts.

Leonardo, who recently completed his latest film The Revenent, looked sharp with his close-cropped beard and mustache and, one has to admit, a little Jay Gatsby-ish.